Harrison l



NITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

HARRISON L. PITTMAN, OF INDUSTRY, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR TO HIMSELF AND JAMES E. VAIL, OF SAME PLACE.

REFRIGERATOR.

SPECIFICATION formingpart of Letters Patent No. 505,368, dated September 19, 1893.

Application filed May 4, 1892. Serial No. 431,845. (No model.)

To a/ZZ whom it may concern,.-

Be it known that I, HARRISON L. PITTMAN, of Industry, in the county of McDonough and State of Illinois, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Refrigerators, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

This invention consists in a suspension re- 'frigerator or cooling chestfor use within a well, and in certain devices or combinations of parts for lowering, raising and guiding the refrigerator in and out of the well, substantially as hereinafter described and more particularly pointed out in the claim.

Said refrigerator may be used for holding milk, butter, fruits and other perishable articles, to preserve them during summer heat and keep them from freezing in the winter season, by reason of the suspension of the refrigerator to any desired depth above the water level in the well, and which may be done without interfering with the arrangement of a pump applied to the well, and the devices for raising and lowering the refrigerator are such that the latter may be easily raised to the top or out of the well when it is required to open the refrigerator to introduce the articles to be preserved or to remove them as required. v

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings forming a part of this specification, in which similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the figures.

Figure l represents a vertical section of a well in part, with my invention applied thereto; Fig. 2 a similar view of the same taken at right angles to the former gure, the section through the well being upon the line 2 2 in Fig. 1; and Fig. 3 is a plan of the refrigerator with an attached guide plate or clasp and showing in section an upright track with which the clutch engages.

A indicates a well, B the platform on top thereof having an opening b through it, and C a sliding cover applied over said opening, and which is drawn back when the refrigerator or cooling chest D, is being raised or lowered in or out of the well. Y

E, is an upright frame mounted on and secured to the platform B. This frame carries the operating mechanism by which the refrigerator D is raised or lowered and held at any required height or depth. l

G, is an upright track arranged to pass down within the well in proximity to but not in contact with its one side vand to project a suitable height above the well where it may be secured to the frame E. Said track is thus arranged away from the side of the well to admit of a pair of vertically opposite guide plates or clasps d and d. Both of these guide plates or clasps are provided with opposite parallel side portions forming securing plates, perforated for the reception of bolts or screws to attach the same to the top and bottom of the refrigerator, and such parallel side portions of said guide plates or clasps terminate at one end in inturned guide tongues d2, which Y embrace the rear edges of the vertical track so as to securely hold and guide the refrigerator to its vertical movement at one side of such track. One of said guide plates or clasps, designated by the letter d, is also of a substantial M-shape, being provided with a central angular portion disposed upwardly from the top of the refrigerator for the purpose hereinafter described. These clasps grip or hold the refrigerator to the track G with freedom to slide up and down it, the track forming a` guide to direct the refrigerator in its up and down movement and'being provided at its lower end with a distance and stop block c, to aid in keeping the track or guide Gr at its proper distance from thewall of the well and to arrest the refrigerator when lowered to its extreme limit.

Theframeis fitted withawindlassILtowhich is attached the one end of a rope or chain I, arranged to pass over a pulley s, on the top of the track Gr and fastened at its other or lower end to the central angular portion of the clasp ol, said rope or connection serving to raise or lower the refrigerator as required accordingly as the windlass Il is rotated to the right or left. Said windlass is operated by multiplying gearing to lighten the labor of raising the refrigerator. Thus the power is applied through a pinion e, by a crank handle f, to a spur wheel g, on the axle of the windlass barrel and the pinion e has a ratchet IOO and stop pawl h, applied to it to hold, when the pawl is engaged, the refrigerator Das it is raised or partly raised.

The refrigerator itself may be of any suitable construction, but is here shown as provided with two hinged doors t' i, having wire screen panels and as fitted with a series of shelves le, which should be made removable for the purpose of cleaning, airing and purifying them and the refrigerator generally.

The invention may be used by any family, on whose premises there is a Well, for keeping milk and butter and other articles cool and sweet without the aid of ice, orV by farmers and others for keep/ing their milk of which to vmake butter, thus dispensing with the use of a milk trough or cellar and retaininga more4 by the clasps d d as the refrigerator is moved I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

' The combination with a well and a single track upright arranged vertically within the well at one side thereof; of the vertically movable refrigerator box mounted to slide at one side of the track upright, guide plates or clasps secured to the top and bottom of said refrigerator box and provided at the extremity of the side portionsfthereof with inturned guide tongues d2, adapted to embrace the rear edges of said track upright, theupper one of said plates or clasps being further'provided with a central upwardly disposed angular portion, and the elevating rope connected to the angular portion ofthe upper plateor clasp,=sub stantially as set forth.

HARRISON L. PITTMAN.

Witnesses:

W. E.' CLAYTON, J. GEORGE J oNEs. 

